Sunday, March 25, 2012

Peter Cruddas: Cash for Access

Conservative Party co-treasurer Peter Cruddas has resigned after being filmed apparently offering access to Prime Minister David Cameron in return for donations of £250,000 a year.

The senior Tory fundraiser told undercover reporters pretending to be business representatives that 'things will open up for you' if they donated that amount of money to the Tories.

In a meeting secretly recorded by The Sunday Times, he said: 'It will be awesome for your business.'

Mr Cruddas said he only took up the post at the beginning of the month and was 'keen to meet anyone potentially interested in donating'.

He said he had not consulted any politicians or senior party officials before the recorded conversation.

Mr Cruddas told the undercover reporters that 'premier league' donors - those giving £250,000 a year - could lobby Mr Cameron directly and their views were 'fed in' to Downing Street. He said there was no point in 'scratching around' with donations of £10,000.

According to The Sunday Times, he believed that any prospective donations from the reporters - pretending to be wealth fund executives - would come from Liechtenstein and would be ineligible under election law.